Cupertino-based technology major Apple pulled the wraps off the new MacBook Air and the Mac mini PC series during the Special Event October 2018 event.
The MacBook Air was long overdue as the company last refreshed the PC way back in 2015. Considering the new features, it looks like it was worth waiting.
Apple MacBook Air sports a 13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit Retina display with 2560x1600p resolutions and 300 nits brightness. It has a smaller footprint, as it takes up 17% less volume, is 10% thinner measuring just 0.61 inches at its thickest point, and at just 2.75 pounds (1.24Kg), is a quarter pound lighter than the previous generation.
Under-the-hood, it houses eighth generation Intel dual-core Core i5 processor with Turbo boost up to 3.6GHz CPU speed, Intel UHD Graphics 617, 8GB RAM, 128GB/256GB, macOS Mojave and 50.3 watt-hours lithium-polymer battery with support for the 30W USB-C power adapter. Apple claims that the new PC will offer battery life up to 12 hours wireless web browsing and close to 13 hours iTunes movie playback.
It also supports two Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports, 802.11 ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2 wireless technology, FaceTime HD camera, full-sized backlit keyboard with Force Touch trackpad.
The interesting aspect of the new Apple MacBook Air is that it is eco-friendly. Its body is made of custom, Apple-designed aluminium alloy that enables the use of 100% recycled aluminium for the first time, which has the same strength, durability and beautiful finish as the aluminium in all Apple products. Using this custom aluminium alloy helps reduce MacBook Air's carbon footprint by nearly 50%, making it the greenest Mac ever, Apple claims.
New Apple Mac Mini:
Apple's new Mac Mini comes with a gorgeous compact body in Space Grey shade. Though the design and dimensions are same as the predecessor, it is said to be five times faster in performance, making it the most powerful Mac mini ever made.
It comes in two options—quad-core and six-core— 8th-generation Intel Core processors with Turbo Boost Speed up to 4.6GHz and Intel UHD Graphics 630 GPU, 8GB RAM (2666MHz DDR4 SO-DIMM), 128GB/256GB (PCIe-based SSD).
The company claims that the Mac Mini will be able to do power-intensive tasks on Desktops such as photo and video editing, music creation and software development, and crushes pro workflows including video transcoding, code compiling and live musical performances.
And with up to 64GB of 2666 MHz memory, Mac mini can load larger files into memory, run more virtual machines or manipulate even larger datasets. Every Mac mini now features the speed and reliability of all-flash storage. With capacities up to 2TB, the SSDs on Mac mini is up to four times faster, so working with large files and opening apps are quicker than ever.
And with Thunderbolt 3 USB C ports (x4), HDMI 2.0 (x1), USB 3 (x2), 3.5mm audio jack, the Apple T2 Security Chip and a 10Gb Ethernet option, the new Mac mini is a faster and more capable desktop that can do so much more.
For those unaware, The Apple T2 Security Chip is an industry-leading security technology. The T2 features an SSD controller with on-the-fly data encryption so everything stored on the SSD is automatically and fully encrypted.
The Secure Enclave in T2 ensures that software loaded during the boot process has not been tampered with. T2 also features HEVC video transcoding that's up to an incredible 30 times faster, enabling pro users to work more quickly with higher resolution video throughout their workflow.
Like the new MacBook Air, Mac mini is also an eco-friendly device. Its enclosure uses Apple-designed aluminium alloy made from 100% recycled aluminium, which has the same strength, durability and beautiful finish as the aluminium in all Apple products. The Mac mini also features the use of more post-consumer recycled plastic in parts like the foot. Altogether these advancements help to reduce the carbon footprint of the new Mac mini by nearly 50%.
Apple MacBook Air and Mac mini price and availability:
The new MacBook Air (Gold/) and Mac mini (Space Grey) will be available for order through Apple Authorised Resellers starting 7 November with prices starting at Rs 1,14,900 and Rs 75,900, respectively.
